King’s Fork senior makes two state finals

RICHMOND — King’s Fork senior Qualitra Brown didn’t run the 100-meter dash in the Southeastern District or the Eastern Region championship meets but she’ll be vying for the state championship in the 100 Saturday afternoon on the second day of the VHSL (Virginia High School League) Group AAA State Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Brown’s made state finals going back to her sophomore year in the 200 and the 400. She’s made national-level meets in the longer sprints and won the district championship for the 400 two weeks ago.

Brown, who’s going to Villanova on a track scholarship come the fall, raced through the preliminary round in the 100 and 400 Friday evening, with her two heats being 50 minutes apart, at Sports Backers Stadium.

The 100 was first up and Brown came in second in her heat and seventh overall in a time of 12.08 seconds, making the eight-person final.

Brown won her heat in the 400 in 56.70 seconds. On Saturday afternoon, Brown will have just over an hour between races.

Lakeland’s boys team came into the state meet with thoughts of winning or at least finishing quite high in the team standings. Friday’s field events and preliminary heats on the track were largely unkind to the Cavaliers, though.

Junior Anaquan Peterson fought through apparent pain, limping away after each attempt in the long jump, to finish sixth with a best mark of 21-feet-7.25.

Peterson fouled on two of three tries in the qualifying round, yet his one good jump was enough to make the finals.

Peterson couldn’t match his distance of 23-feet-5.5 he got last week to win the Eastern Region title, a mark which would’ve been good for the state championship had he found it on Friday.

Lakeland senior JaQuan Demiel clipped two hurdles in the 110-meter hurdles and didn’t make the finals in his attempt to defend his state title from a year ago.

Demiel rebounded to finish third in the preliminaries of the 300-meter hurdles in 38.81 seconds. Demiel is also the defending champion in the 300.

Saturday’s schedule includes the boys triple jump, where Peterson and Nansemond River’s Ricky Blake are top contenders, Lakeland going for the boys 4×100 relay title and King’s Fork going for the boys 4×400 relay title. Field events start at 9:30 a.m. and the track finals start at noon.

VHSL Group AAA State Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Friday’s results (In event finals with Suffolk competitors)
Boys long jump
1. Jamarian Bates                Matoaca        23-1
6. Anaquan Peterson            Lakeland        21-7.25

Boys high jump
1. Joey Muzzio                Robinson              6-8
11. Davon Grayson    King’s Fork        6-2

Boys discus
1. Isaiah Simmons    Woodbridge    194-7
21. Desmond Stills    Nansemond River   130-9